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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25466893">Smile!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/yel_halansu/pseuds/yel_halansu'>yel_halansu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Star Trek Bingo Summer 2020 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Old Married James T. Kirk/Spock, Photography</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:02:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>642</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25466893</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/yel_halansu/pseuds/yel_halansu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After retiring from Starfleet, Jim takes up photography as a hobby. His favorite subject, of course, is Spock; but his husband can be quite camera-shy at times.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James T. Kirk/Spock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Star Trek Bingo Summer 2020 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1844740</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Star Trek Bingo Summer 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Smile!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>–Smile! –Kirk beamed, his index finger hovering threateningly over the large button.</p><p>–Vulcans do not smile. Your request is most illogical, Jim.</p><p>Jim lowered the camera from his face to look at his husband with the most convincing puppy eyes he could muster. Their effect on the vulcan was hardly noticeable, as Spock merely straightened up slightly and tilted his head.</p><p>–Besides, I must attend to dinner preparations – he protested as he turned and headed towards the corridor.</p><p>Retirement had given them both the time and opportunity to pick up all sorts of peculiar hobbies. Spock finally had more time to practice on the ka'athyra, rekindle his interest in Vulcan calligraphy, which he had studied as a child; and to immerse himself in the subject of Earth geology. Jim had taken to reading fiction and history. He was now able to spend more time cooking, and he had soon discovered that vegan dishes suitable for a vulcan palate were more rewarding than he had expected. He had even taken to building model starships for a little while. His latest interest, however, was photography.</p><p>Not holography, but photography. The antique kind, which required the use of physical film and large cameras that Jim often had to repair by himself before even using them, as the components for them were no longer being produced. He had just recently acquired his third, a Nikon F2 from the mid-1970s, in better shape than he had initially expected. He had even turned the basement of their home at his old Iowa farm into a darkroom, where he developed the film manually. His favorite subject, of course, was Spock, but his husband could be quite camera-shy at times.</p><p>As Spock opened the door, he tripped and fell. Jim rushed over, but before he could ask him if he was OK, he started chuckling to himself. The large, soft, dark shape of their pet sehlat had broken his fall.</p><p>–Slor – Spock did not try to get up, but instead just laid on the floor, his face buried in the fur, before putting his arms around the massive animal. – Why do you insist on sleeping anywhere you please? You are a bumbling fool.–</p><p>His husband's comment, combined with Slor's confused expression as she looked up, startled from her nap, caused Jim's chuckles to turn into hearty laughs. He covered his mouth with his free hand and tried to control himself, and failed.</p><p>Spock shifted slightly to look up at Jim, his expression soft and loving behind his vulcan composure.</p><p>Jim seized the opportunity and just barely managed to capture the moment with his camera. When he tried to snap a second picture, Jim heard the familiar empty click that told him there was no more film in the camera. Now it was ready to be developed at last. Jim pushed his way through the crowded doorway, stepping over the forms of Spock and Slor, both still on the ground.</p><p>–It is unkind to not offer your help– Spock teased him.</p><p>–I can't hear you! – shouted Jim, already halfway down the stairs to the basement.</p><p> </p><p>The tongs gripped the print gently as Jim lifted it from the chemical bath in the tray up close to his face to inspect it. The black and white features of Spock's face were slightly blurry, but still clearly recognizable. To a stranger it would seem he was serious, maybe even stern, but Jim knew better. Even in the dim red light he could recognize the gleam in his husband's eyes staring back from the paper, and the ever-so-slight twist in the corner of his mouth. Jim lifted the photograph carefully to pin it to the line to dry, and couldn't help but look at it once again. Perhaps it was not a smile by traditional human standards, but it was all Jim had ever wanted.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>They called their pet sehlat “sweet” :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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